PlayStation 3 top game system in Japan

TOKYO, Dec. 1 (UPI) -- Sony's PlayStation 3 has now surpassed the Nintendo Wii in total sales in Japan, thanks primarily to a recent series of marketing moves by Sony officials.

Thanks to Sony's decision to reduce the cost of its 80GB PlayStation 3 to $499 and pricing its new 40GB gaming system at $400, the Japanese company's sales have finally exceeded those enjoyed by Nintendo in recent weeks, eFluxMedia reported Saturday.

During the last four weeks, Nintendo sold 159,193 Nintendo Wii units in the company's native land. Recent figures show during that same time period, Sony sold 183,217 of its PlayStation 3 systems under the new price tags.

Sony Computer Entertainment America reported similar success in the United States, where PlayStation 3 hardware sales have increased by nearly 300 percent.

With the holiday season only getting started, eFluxMedia said those rising figures will only continue to rise dramatically, representing a likely end to Sony's sales problems in recent years.